Textbook
A. S. Elnashai and L. Di Sarno (2008). Fundamentals of Earthquake Engineering, 1st Edition, John Wiley and Sons (ISBN 978-0-470-02483-6).
Optional Texts
- R. Villaverde (2009). Fundamental Concepts of Earthquake Engineering, 1st Edition, CRC Press (ISBN 978-1-4200-6498-7).
- A. K. Chopra (2007). Dynamics of Structures: Theory and Applications to Earthquake Engineering, 3rd Edition, Pearson/Prentice Hall (ISBN 978-0-131-56174-8).
- S. L. Kramer (1996). Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering, 1st Edition, Prentice Hall (ISBN 978-0-133-74943-4).
- R. D. Cook, D. S. Malkus, M. E. Plesha and R. J. Witt (2001). Concepts and Applications of Finite Element Analysis, 4th Edition, John Wiley and Sons (ISBN 0-471-35605-0).
- P. E. Pinto, R. Giannini and P. Franchin (2004). Seismic Reliability Analysis of Structures, 1st Edition, IUSS Press (ISBN 88-7358-017-3).
Prerequisites
Introductory graduate level course(s) on structural dynamics and finite element methods or the consent of the instructor are required.
Course Objectives and Emphasis
The objective of this course is to familiarize the students with the fundamental concepts in earthquake engineering. Additionally, the students will be exposed to findings from some of the recent research. Students will also gain experience in using the state-of-the-art tools that are most commonly utilized by the earthquake engineering community.
Computer Programs
Some homework assignments and the second project require the use of ZEUS NL, fiber-based finite element analysis software (available from http://code.google.com/p/zeus-nl/) and SAP2000, general purpose structural analysis software (available on the computers at the Engineering Computing Center). Students are also encouraged to use other computer programs such as MS Excel, Matlab, Mathematica and Mathcad.
Projects
- Project 1: An in-depth investigation of a major earthquake. The students will work individually or in small-groups (depending on the size of the class) to prepare a report. The reports should cover all aspects of the earthquake including tectonic setting and seismic history, seismology and strong motion, structural damage, geotechnical effects, and social and economic impacts. The reports should be in the format of a journal paper with a maximum length of 15 pages. Each student (or group) will prepare a 10 min presentation and present his/her work to class in a separate session.
- Project 2: Assessment of a multi-story building subjected to earthquake forces. The students will start from the excitation source and they will be responsible for performing all the intermediate steps to obtain the response of the structure. Finally, the performance of the structure will be quantitatively assessed. The students will submit the results in a technical report format. Computer lab sessions will be held as needed to help students use the required computer programs.
Course Outline
1. Earthquake Causes and Effects
a. Causes of Earthquakes
b. Measuring Earthquakes
c. Source-to-Site Effects
d. Effects of Earthquakes
2. Characterization of Earthquake Input
a. Earthquake Occurrence and Return Period
b. Attenuation Relationships
c. Earthquake Spectra
d. Seismic Hazard Assessment
e. Earthquake Records
3. Earthquake Response of Structures
a. Conceptual Framework of Seismic Design
b. Structural Response Characteristics
4. Evaluation of Actions and Deformations
a. Ground Motion and Load Modeling
b. Structural Modeling
c. Methods of Analysis
d. Performance Levels and Objectives
e. Actions and Deformations